Standing with Bennett: Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, left, meets with alumnae of Bennett and Spelman colleges Monday evening at Fifth Baptist Church in Richmond to rally efforts to help raise $5 million by Feb. 1 to save Bennett College. Dr. Cole previously served as president of both institutions, the only two historically black women’s colleges in the nation, and was central to a video the group made Monday and posted on social media. United in sisterhood, the video calls on Spelman women and Bennett Belles to support the Greensboro, N.C., college, which may lose its accreditation if it cannot gain a more sound financial footing by the Feb. 1 deadline. The effort came together within 24 hours. “I have never witnessed black women move so quickly with one mission to make sure African-American women have the opportunity to receive a quality education,” said Marissa Jennings, Bennett Class of 2003. Dr. Cole’s message is available online at https://vimeo.com/314049002. To donate, go to www.bennett.edu/donate. (Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press)
